Means to connect tractor and trailer sections and for effecting steering thereof



Nov. 30, 1948. H. G. TRAVER MEANS TO CONNECT TRACTOR AND TRAILER SECTIONS smw AND FOR EFFECTING STEERING THEREOF 3 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed March 31, 1944 INVENTOR. 12'. a. Zmwr Nov. 30,1948. H, G. TRAVER 2,455,147

MEANS TO CONNECT TRACTOR AND TRAILER SECTIONS AND FOR EFFECTING STEERING THEREOF Filed March 31, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Q INVENTOR.

II. C. Trm/ er Arron/my 0v. 3@, 14. H. G. TRAVER MEANS T0 CONNECT TRACTOR AND TRAILER smcnoxs AND FOR EFFECTING STEERING THEREOF Filed March 31, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N INVENTOR. 6! Trarer i y HTTOFNE Y Patented Nov. 36, i9

MEANS TO CONNECT TRACTOR AND TRAILER SECTIONS AND FOR EFFECT- ING'STEERING THEREOF Harry G. Traver, Cranford, N. J. Application March 31, 1944, Serial No. 528,937

4 Claims. (Cl. 280-97) 1 This invention relates to means to connect tractor and trailer sections arranged with agricultural implements for working and tilling the land and preparing the same for seeding and raising of crops, whereby the sections are adjusted on a vertical axis to effect steering of the sections as a unit.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improvedadjustable connection between tractor and trailer sections which is efficient in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a plan view of connected tractor and trailer sections.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view looking at the bottom of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the tractor section, partly in section, showing the connection between the tractor and trailer sections and adjusting means therefor.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the tractor section looking at the bottom of Figure 3.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings for carrying out the invention comprises a tractor section, designated in a general way by A in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, and a trailer section, designated in a general way by B in Figures 1 and 2, and said sections pivotally connected to have adjustment one relative to the other on a vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal centers of the sections, as hereinafter fully described.

The tractor section includes'a frame consisting of parallelly superposed side members 22, 23, secured in superposed relation by upright members 24 and in lateral spaced relation by transverse members 25. As shown, the tractor section is propelled by power means. shown in a general way as an internal combustion engine at 28 supported upon the transverse members connecting the upper side frame members 22, and said engine operative connected to a drive shaft 21 through a clutch and change speed mechanism, shown in a conventional manner at 28 and 29. respectively. The clutch is provided with the usual means for engaging and disengaging the clutch, and the change speed mechanism is enclosed in a housing and provided with the usual actuating means for operatively connecting different elements thereof to rotate the output shaft at different speeds. The output shaft of the change speed mechanism is connected to the shaft 2'! by a bevel pinion fixed on said output shaft meshing with a bevel gear fixed on the drive shaft, said pinion and gear connection being enclosed in a box mounted upon the frame, as shown at 30 in Figure 3. The drive shaft 21 is journaled in the sleeve of a bearing member 3i and a bearing member 32 fixed upon the upper side frame members 22 with the opposite ends of the shaft projecting from opposite sides of the frame.

A pair of: traction wheels 38 are connected to the frame to permit of the raising and lowering of the frame and traction wheels relative to each other. For the purpose the traction wheels are loose on one end of shafts 36 carried at one end .of a pair of lever arms 85 disposed at the op-' posite sides of the frame and shown as loosely mountedon drive shaft 21. The traction wheels are rotated from the drive shaft by sprocket chains 38 passingaround sprocket wheels 3i 'journaled on a sub-frame ll fixed to and suspended below the lower side members 23 of the frame, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The shaft Ml is rotated from the drive shaft 21 by sprocket chains 58 passing around sprocket Wheels 51 fixed on the ends of the drive shaft 21 and sprocket wheels 68 keyed to the ends of the shaft Ml.

To facilitate breaking and loosening of the land by the digger blades 39, said blades are provided with disk cutters 59.

During the digging operation of the digger blades 38 and disk cutters 58 soil and other material will adhere to and accumulate on the disger blades and disk cutters, particularly so if the ground is moist, which may interfere with the efficient operation of the land breaking and loosening means. Means are, therefore, provided to remove from the cutter disks and digger blades any such material adheringthereto. As shown,

said means comprises scrapers 60' of curved form in longitudinal section suspended between split clamping collars 62 mounted on a shaft 83 fixed to the side frame members 23 and extending transversely of the frame.

To facilitate breaking and working of stubble land, or land having a cover crop, such as oats. rye or other vegetation to constitute green manure, meansare provided to lay such vegetation over the ground and out the same into relatively small size and thus facilitate not only the breaking of the land but also the mixing of the cut vegetation with the land by the land breaking and loosening action of the digger blades, said means comprising cutter means I revoluble in a circular path about a horizontal axis I8.

The tractor frame is adapted to be supported by the wheels 33 with the land breaking and loosening or digging means and vegetation cutter means out of engagement with the land and propelled by the traction wheels, or is adapted to be supported and propelled by the digging means during the digging operation with the wheels out of traction position. For this purpose, the traction wheels are raised and lowered from the drive shaft 21 through links 30 pivotally connected at one to the traction wheel carriers 30 and pivotally engaged at the opposite ends upon the ends of a rod 84 pivotally carried at one end of a pair of arms 31 fixed on the opposite ends of a shaft 00 rotatably supported on the upright members 24. A pair of cables 00 are attached at one end to the rod 00 and the opposite ends of the. cables are attached to a drum 83 loose on the drive shaft 21. The drum 03 is coupled to and rotate with the drive shaft 21 through a clutch 00 actuated by a foot actuated lever I01. When the frame is raised to its uppermost position the rod 08 by the forward movement thereof is engaged in a pair of latches I 00 pivotally supported at one end to extend upwardly on the upper side members 22 of the tractor frame when the foot actuated clutch lever I01 is released.

To lower the frame to position the land digging means and the vegetation cutting means into engagement with the land and eflect raising movement of the traction wheels the holding latches I00 are moved out of engagement with the rod 80 by links IIO pivotally connected at one end to the upper end of the latches and the opposite end of the links pivotally connected to the ends of a shaft III rotated to actuate the latches out of engagement with the rod 00 by a foot operated lever H3. To prevent sudden lowering movement of the tractor frame and sudden engagement of the land digging blades with the land and the possibility of breaking the same, brake mechanism H5 is provided on the drum 93 and actuated by lever II3. During the initial movement of the brake pedal II3 the holding latches I08 are moved out of engagement with and release the rod 06 when the weight of the frame will tend to cause it to assume a lowered position.

The trailer section, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, includes a frame substantially of rectangular form comprising side members I20 connected at the rear end by a transverse member I2I and at the forward end by a transverse member I22 which may be a plate extending above and below the side members I20 and members I23 secured at one 'end to the upper end of the plate I22 and declining to and secured at the opposite end of the side members I20.

The tractor and trailer sections are pivotally connected to have adiustment one in angular relation tothe other on a vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal centers of the sections, and shown as comprising a vertical king pin I24 engaging at the opposite ends in openings in brackets I20, I20 fixed to the upper and lower portions and extending forwardly of the plate I22 and the king pin secured in said bl'flfi fi z d by pins extended through the brackets and king pin. The tractor section is pivotally connected to saidking pin by vertically spaced and connected bearing members of a bracket I21 pivotally engaged on the king pin within the supporting brackets therefor, and the bracket I21 arranged with a portion forwardly of and in line with the lower bearing member having a socket therein, as at I28, for the engagement of one end of a shaft I20 secured therein and thereby connected to the bracket and trailer section by a pin extending transversely through said bracket portion I20 and the shaft, as shown in Figure 4. The shaft I28 ,extends through hearing members carried by members 24 of and ex tending between transverse members 20 of the tractor frame and held against rearward axial movement by collars I30 fixed on said shaft at the front side of said bearing members. By the mounting of the shaft I28 in the bearing members carried by the frame A the frame A is adapted to have independent movement about effected by a sector member I3I fixed to and supported by the plate I22 of the trailer frame to extend forwardly thereof by brackets I32, the undersurface of said sector being arranged with bevel gearteeth which mesh with the teeth of a bevel gear I33 loose on the shaft I20 with one end of said gear abutting the bearing of the shaft I20, and rotative movement of the gear I33 will impart rotative movement to the sector IN and thereby impart pivotal movement-- to the forward end of the trailer section and the rear end of the tractor section on the king pin I24 and bracket I21 connection between the frames of said sections. The gear I33 is rotated by a bevel gear I34 connected to or integral with the gear I33 meshing with a bevel gear I 35 fixed on the lower end of and rotatable with a vertical shaft I30 rotatably supported in a bracket I01 fixed to the rearmost transverse member 20 connecting the upper side members 22 of the tractor frame midway the ends of said member 25 and extending rearwardly therefrom. The shaft I38 is operatively connected to and rotatable from the rotation of a post I33 having a hand wheel fixed thereto rotatably supported adjacent to and in front of a seat 8 for an operator of the apparatus in a bearing member of a supporting bracket I30 mounted on and intermediate the transverse members 20 connecting the upper side members 22 of the tractor frame and on which bracket the bearing member for the levers I 01 and H3 is also mounted. The rotation of the post is transmitted to the shaft I30 by a sprocket chain I40 passing around a sprocket wheel I4I fixed to the post and a sprocket wheel I42 fixed to the upper end of the shaft I30. In order that the rod 30 will clear the sprocket chain I40 and the upper end of the shaft I30 and sprocket wheel I42 fixed thereon as the rod is moved to and from its rear-most position shown in full lines in Figure 4 the portion of said rod disposed relative to said members is offset laterally, as at 00". The trailer carries harrow disks I43 to level and break up the land for a depth of from three to six inches and to finally divide or disintegrate and mix with the land the green manure. The trailer section also carries commercial fertilizer distributing means I50, seeding mechanism I54, soil packing means I60 operative to cover the seed and restore capillarity of the land, and means I66 to effect a final finely separating and levelling of the land.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In agricultural apparatus, a tractor section, atrailer section, and means to connect the tractor and trailer sections to have pivotal adjustment on a vertical axis and adjust the sections on said vertical axis to effect steering of the apparatus. comprising a king pin carried by the trailer section, a shaft carried by and disposed in the longitudinal center of the tractor section, a bracket fixed on said shaft pivotally engaging the king pin, a pair of beveled gears rotatable in unison on the shaft disposed centrally of the tractor section, a toothed sector fixed on the trailersection meshing with one of said gears, a shaft carried by the tractor section to rotate on a Vertical axis having a beveled pinion fixed thereon meshing with the other beveled gear on said first shaft and having a sprocket wheel fixed thereon, a post arranged with a hand wheel rotat-ably mounted on the trachave movement one relative to the other about an axis extending longitudinally and centrally of the tractor and trailer sections and about a vertical axis intersecting the longitudinal center of said sections, comprising a king pin carried by one of the sections, a shaft loosely mounted in bearings carried by and disposed inthe longitudinal center of the other section, a member fixed on ward end of the trailer section to and support the same from the rear end of the tractor section whereby the tractor and trailer sections are adapted to have movement one independent of and relative to the other about an axis extending longitudinally and centrally of said frames and about a vertical axis to effect steering of the apparatus, comprising a king pin carried by and disposed perpendicularly to one section, a shaft loosely mounted in bearings carried by and distor section and having a sprocket wheel fixed thereto, and a sprocket chain passing around the sprocket wheels on the post and vertical shaft to transmit the rotation of the post to said shaft and effect rotation of the beveled gears and thereby move the toothed sector fixed to the trailer section and efiect adjustment of the tractor and trailer sections in angular relation to each other about the axis of the king pin.

2. In agricultural apparatus, a tractor section. a trailer section, and means to pivotally connect the rear end of the tractor section tothe'forward end of the trailer section and support said ends of the section one from the other to have independent adjustment about a vertical axis to effect steering of the apparatus, comprising a king pin mounted in vertical position on one end of and intersecting the longitudinal center of one of said sections, a shaft rotatably carried by and disposed in the longitudinal center of the other of said sections, a member fixed on said shaft pivotally engaging the king pin, a toothed sector fixed on-the section carrying the king pin and disposed in angular relation to the king pin, a gear rotatable on said shaft meshing with the teeth of the toothed sector, and means including a hand wheel opera- .tive to rotate the gear and move said ends of the tractor and trailer sections one relative to the other about the king pin.

3. In agricultural apparatus, a tractor section, a trailer section, and means to connect the forward end of the trailer section to and support the same from the rear end of the tractor section to posed in the longitudinal center of the other section, a member fixed on said shaft and pivotally engaging the king pin, a gear rotatable on the shaft, a toothed sector fixed on the section carrying the king pin with the teeth of the sector meshing with said gear, a manually operable post rotatably mounted on the tractor section, and means to operatlvely connect and transmit the rotation of the post to the gear and cause the gear to rotate relative to the toothed sector and the sector to move relative to the gear.

HARRY G. TRAVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 688,626 Friberg 1 Dec. 10, 1901 851,026 Nelson Apr. 23, 1907 861,202 Blue et al. ,July 23, 1907 1,209,084 Walton Dec. 19, 1916 1,255,404 Gerdeman Feb. 5, 1918 1,279,479 Storm Sept. 17, 1918 1,301,043 Daugherty Apr. 15, 1919 1,340,169 Jessen May 18, 1920 1,412,944 Kletke Apr. 18, 1922 1,419,014 Burtnett June 6, 1922 1,611,358 Miller Dec. 21, 1926 1,659,090 Emmons Feb. 14, 1928 2,066,610 Carlin Jan. 5, 1937 

